with a loud clang. Ariana waved at Tate, who nodded again and moved over to the rather small opening. Taking a deep breath, she eased her head and shoulders out. She got hung up at her chest for a moment and had to do some wriggling to ease her upper body through the gap.
“Guess it’s a good thing I’ve lost so much weight these past few days,” Tate said as she managed to spill out the rest of the way. “There’s no way these hips could normally do that.”
Ariana quickly followed her out. Tate grabbed her arms and helped her to her feet. They glanced around the room. Approaching a table full of implements, Tate hefted a sharp tool that resembled an ice pick. Not wanting to be unarmed, Ariana grabbed a similar tool.
“Let’s be careful when we leave this room,” Tate cautioned. “We don’t know where we are or what kind of dwelling this is. Metis might have guards out here.”
Ariana nodded. She realized that she wasn’t as afraid as she probably should be. She just felt resolved.
Tate grasped the door handle and gave it a pull. Then she frowned. “You have got to be kidding me.”
“What?”
“It’s locked.”
“Cephalus, stop your tirade. It is me—Metis.”
She kept her gaze trained on a spot in the distance in case she once again had to teleport out of harm’s way. Despite the fact that she wasn’t looking directly at Cephalus, she certainly saw him. The six-armed giant was impossible to miss. If his extra appendages and fifteen-foot bulk weren’t enough to draw attention, his purple skin and writhing head of silver hair sure were. His black eyes had no irises and were little more than narrow slits as he turned in her direction.
As odd as she considered herself due to Tethys’ miscalculations during the creation process, she thanked her good fortune that she hadn’t ended up like Cephalus.
“I know it has been many centuries since you last saw me, and I no longer look the same,” she said as the giant hefted his spiked club. “But our creator gave me the ability to assume multiple forms.”
His nostrils flaring, the giant took two long strides in her direction with his club held high. She teleported to the spot she’d been focusing on and watched the club shatter a pillar next to where she’d been standing.
Shaking her head, she wondered if she’d miscalculated in coming here. But she needed Cephalus’ help to monitor and coerce the two females so she could go after the final scroll piece. She would also need his strength to get the two pieces from Eirik. She had nowhere else to turn.
“I will bring you away from this place, Cephalus, if you will but listen to me.”
That finally caught the giant’s attention. This time when he approached, he kept the club lowered. His hair waved around his head in a rhythmic manner that caught the sunlight. It would have hypnotized her if she hadn’t known to avoid gazing at it.
“You would take me from this place after so many centuries of exile?” he asked.
“Yes. And all that I ask in return is that you aid me in acquiring something.”
“Acquiring what?”
Knowing he wouldn’t deny her when she offered him something so precious, she explained about the Elder Scroll, the two females and Eirik. The giant didn’t move a muscle throughout her monologue.
“You can teleport me while in that form?” he asked.
“Yes. I wish to go to the laboratory first and acquire the two females. They will lead us to the third scroll piece.”
“I agree to your conditions,” Cephalus said without hesitation. “Let us depart.”
Metis didn’t want to waste any more time. She nodded and approached him. “You may be too tall to stand easily in my laboratory, so we had best do this while you are sitting.”
He obeyed, laying his club on his lap. Closing her eyes, Metis touched his arm and visualized the laboratory, describing it out loud to help the teleport succeed. In the next moment, they both appeared next to the table where she
“Guess it’s a good thing I’ve lost so much weight these past few days,” Tate said as she managed to spill out the rest of the way. “There’s no way these hips could normally do that.”
Ariana quickly followed her out. Tate grabbed her arms and helped her to her feet. They glanced around the room. Approaching a table full of implements, Tate hefted a sharp tool that resembled an ice pick. Not wanting to be unarmed, Ariana grabbed a similar tool.
“Let’s be careful when we leave this room,” Tate cautioned. “We don’t know where we are or what kind of dwelling this is. Metis might have guards out here.”
Ariana nodded. She realized that she wasn’t as afraid as she probably should be. She just felt resolved.
Tate grasped the door handle and gave it a pull. Then she frowned. “You have got to be kidding me.”
“What?”
“It’s locked.”
“Cephalus, stop your tirade. It is me—Metis.”
She kept her gaze trained on a spot in the distance in case she once again had to teleport out of harm’s way. Despite the fact that she wasn’t looking directly at Cephalus, she certainly saw him. The six-armed giant was impossible to miss. If his extra appendages and fifteen-foot bulk weren’t enough to draw attention, his purple skin and writhing head of silver hair sure were. His black eyes had no irises and were little more than narrow slits as he turned in her direction.
As odd as she considered herself due to Tethys’ miscalculations during the creation process, she thanked her good fortune that she hadn’t ended up like Cephalus.
“I know it has been many centuries since you last saw me, and I no longer look the same,” she said as the giant hefted his spiked club. “But our creator gave me the ability to assume multiple forms.”
His nostrils flaring, the giant took two long strides in her direction with his club held high. She teleported to the spot she’d been focusing on and watched the club shatter a pillar next to where she’d been standing.
Shaking her head, she wondered if she’d miscalculated in coming here. But she needed Cephalus’ help to monitor and coerce the two females so she could go after the final scroll piece. She would also need his strength to get the two pieces from Eirik. She had nowhere else to turn.
“I will bring you away from this place, Cephalus, if you will but listen to me.”
That finally caught the giant’s attention. This time when he approached, he kept the club lowered. His hair waved around his head in a rhythmic manner that caught the sunlight. It would have hypnotized her if she hadn’t known to avoid gazing at it.
“You would take me from this place after so many centuries of exile?” he asked.
“Yes. And all that I ask in return is that you aid me in acquiring something.”
“Acquiring what?”
Knowing he wouldn’t deny her when she offered him something so precious, she explained about the Elder Scroll, the two females and Eirik. The giant didn’t move a muscle throughout her monologue.
“You can teleport me while in that form?” he asked.
“Yes. I wish to go to the laboratory first and acquire the two females. They will lead us to the third scroll piece.”
“I agree to your conditions,” Cephalus said without hesitation. “Let us depart.”
Metis didn’t want to waste any more time. She nodded and approached him. “You may be too tall to stand easily in my laboratory, so we had best do this while you are sitting.”
He obeyed, laying his club on his lap. Closing her eyes, Metis touched his arm and visualized the laboratory, describing it out loud to help the teleport succeed. In the next moment, they both appeared next to the table where she
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